Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)It's possibly becoming a bit of a hard sell these days, the old roguelike dungeon-crawling adventure, replete with retro/pixel visuals. We know it. However, as busy and as overstuffed with pale imitators to the greats as this genre is, it's still well worth keeping an eye out for the odd gem. And here we have an example of said gem. Into the Restless Ruins is a fantastic thing - put simply, a game that takes a whole bunch of mechanics you might think you're tired of, and weaves them together into something entirely fresh and unique. Edinburgh-based Ant Workshop Studios has melded deckbuilding, dungeon-crawling, dungeon-building, a fiendishly moreish memory game, and delightful, Vampire Survivors-esque, auto-combat to beguiling effect in its Switch debut. The delicately judged balance here, in how each of these mechanics is given an equal share of your time, ensures that, from the first dungeon drop to the very last battle of the campaign, you may find yourself immobilised, such is the addictiveness of the core gameplay loops running in tandem. Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked) Kicking off in a dank catacomb, in a region known as Eorisdale, Into the Restless Ruins sees you take charge of a cloaked protagonist, a Celtic champion, who's on the hunt for the Harvest Maiden. This figure from Scottish folklore, according to the game, can satisfy any heart's greatest desires - in return for a little toil. And so off we pop down some dungeons as we've got a hot tip-off that's where she goes to chill out. This first dungeon gently introduces the flow of the gameplay. Starting a run, you're procedurally-generated a single piece of dungeon, perhaps a crossroads, with a spawn point in the centre. You also have a deck with five cards. Each card has a little part of a dungeon displayed on it, alongside the number of BP (Build Points) you'll need to play it, and a note of any other effects the card may have. An armoury will raise your attack stat, a camp lets you regenerate a little of your torch, whilst faded groves give you a little health regen, and so on through more complex fare. Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked) You start off from your spawn point and use your cards, choosing a piece of dungeon to fit — in a lovely clicky way — to the piece you're currently on. The aim now is to build and expand, using your given turns and BP, to reach several clouded areas spread around you, some of which contain seals. These seals must be found and broken to advance further to a final boss confrontation. All good. Now, once you've done your planning and played your cards, you hold in 'Y' to drop right down into the dungeon (and it's nice how the game just seamlessly zooms right in for this bit) where the auto-combat battling begins. The combat here will come as no surprise to anyone who's survived vampires: it's all about positioning and timing, avoiding explodey rats and mice, weaving through wizard's spells, and knowing when to press or pull back. Once this part starts, you'll likely quickly realise that you've made some mistakes in the planning (especially if you are us). You see, as your dungeons expand, as you reach a seal and break it and are then faced down by a horde of angry beasties, the importance of dungeon design is fully revealed. Accessibility Features GameplayAssistsControlsVisualAudioFull Accessibility Report Data by Family Gaming Database Campsites, first up, need to be placed along routes with some thought to ensure you can keep your torch lit, because they've only gone and put your light supply on a tightly-timed gauge. Tension has entered the chat! You also have a bar dictating your health, which doesn't take much to empty either, so the positioning of those regenerating faded groves is now of critical import. Once you complete a run you'll be taken back to your deck and another gauge is deployed. This purple addition to the fun shows you how cursed you are, you see. It gets added to with each complete run, and so doing well, not dying, and playing clever will help you keep this bar filling up as slowly as possible. Dying and making a mess, on the other hand, will add some hefty chunks, putting you at risk of being overwhelmed before you manage to break all the seals and beat the boss. Phew! The first dungeon's leisurely pace and straightforward layout gives you a chance to get used to spinning and placing parts of your dungeon onto the map, as well as getting to grips with how you'll need to time everything just so to push on to victory. The combat keeps itself varied by providing new weapons and collectibles, too, as well as giving you new options through a vast selection of upgradeable and changeable cards (116 base varieties, we believe). Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked) There are further layers provided through build synergies — certain placement patterns provide surprise boons — and there's also a whole bunch of Cantrips to unlock and use, allowing you to add both positive and negative effects to raise or lower the amount of XP you gain in a run, or "harvest" to use the correct lingo. So, lots of moving parts to consider. You've also got a few characters to meet out in these ruins that you've built around yourself, strange NPCs who'll upgrade your cards, duplicate particular faves, and more besides, whilst imparting some folklore upon you. Upgrading here, it has to be said, is also just really cool and satisfying because, besides the usual numbers-going-up, you get new entrances onto your card pieces. So, for example, a long corridor with three doors that you couldn't use because it wouldn't fit, now gets an extra door for you to work with. It's addictive, puzzley-time stuff that just gets better as it gets harder. Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked) Of course, when a clouded area within any of your dungeons doesn't contain a seal, you've wasted a lot of resources making your way towards it, and this aspect also brings enough tension to your planning time that the building is every bit as enjoyable as the combat. Wandering through dungeons brings the added danger of getting lost, too, as there's no map, so the memory game starts to rear its head as you move onto the later catacombs, which mix things up by spreading the clouds you need to uncover in various directions. This means way more pre-planning is required to avoid coming a cropper to the tight time and health constraints placed on you. Beyond this, you've also got cursed cards that'll be played into your deck once you've been cursed, these add some rough negatives to proceedings if you let them sit in your hand, and so you need to consider when to play them (they cost a BP) in order to do the least amount of damage to your chances and get them out of your deck. These are offset by favour cards you'll get from breaking seals and levelling up, so you could, as an example, play a cursed card that means you can't heal up at groves, but then play a card that gives you +500% damage, so it nullifies the negative somewhat and removes it from your deck. Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked) There are so many wrinkles here that it could have become very tedious and/or messy, so the best thing is how it's all so effortless and easy to learn, even if you don't really do cards as a regular thing. Every aspect is explained well (there's a tutorial in the menus when you need it), and you can take your time in the planning phase. As the catacombs get harder, things progress along perfectly from relaxing and addictive, to tension-filled and even more bloody addictive. The lovely pixel art style, quick shots of Scottish folklore, and solid soundtrack all work to give you exactly the kind of ambience you need to settle in for the long haul. In terms of negatives, well, the story aspects are light, really, so this one isn't gonna be challenging any of the more narratively bombastic examples of the genre to a straight-up auto-fight in the school playground. We guess, too, that the graphical style is one that's been done quite a bit, but honestly, we're picking for the sake of it now. This is some premium-grade roguelike, in the end - a uniquely fresh take that borrows inspirations from all over its chosen genre, and cobbles them together into a wonderful indie game that's very much its own thing. Just be warned that the 'one more run' factor here is high. Conclusion Into The Restless Ruins has taken us totally by surprise. This is a belting addition to the Switch's lineup of roguelikes that manages to make itself fresh and unique in a category full of bland copycats. The melding of deckbuilding, combat, memory challenges, and construction of dungeons makes for a game that draws you right in every time, robbing you of hours as you work your way through its delightful catacombs. A little more narrative oomph may have taken it even further, but you're still looking at a bit of a must-play here. A wonderfully clever melding of mechanicsCombat is fun with good variety in enemies and weaponsPacing is spot on, with dungeons getting more complex as you goEasy to get to grips with but deep as the darkest dungeon, too Story is very lightPixel art style has been done quite a bit before Excellent 9/10

Anyone who's ever decorated a home—whether a studio apartment that barely spans 500 square feet or a multi-bedroom, single-family house—knows that good furniture doesn't come cheap. We use the term "good" loosely because, well, what does that even mean? In this case, it refers to the quality of construction, which, more often than not, informs longevity. Though there are exceptions, the general rule of thumb is as follows: The better the materials and manufacturing processes are, the longer the furniture in question will last. You may also be trying to determine how best to spend your decorating budget in accordance with your household's priorities—does it make more sense to splurge on a well-built sofa that's going to get a lot of daily use or a solid wood cabinet for a guest bedroom that could last generations? Luckily, we have a great starting point for you.We asked Dan Campbell, president of BenchMade Modern, for his expertise on the subject. His paramount piece of advice for anyone willing to spend a pretty penny on luxury furniture is this: "Look for furniture that's handcrafted in the United States, as this ensures high-quality materials as well as craftsmanship," he says. "When something is custom-made or made-to-order, this creates the best option as the piece is crafted based on the features the end user really needs."Ahead, he shares what furniture pieces tend to last longer and what's worth the investment. We'd also like to preface that all of our life expectancy timelines are generalizations and presume that these are investment-worthy pieces that are carefully maintained and cared for—all the more reason to buy the best quality you can!Related StoriesSofasDesign: Sarah Vaile Design, Photo: Lesley UnruhSofas are tricky because there are a lot of elements that go into their creation, namely the frame, cushions, and upholstery. Even if they're made of the best-quality materials, longevity is not a guarantee. Campbell asks, "Who is using it, and where does it live? Are there kids and pets? Is it in a high-traffic area like a media room or more of a display piece in a formal living room?" Once you have that key information, you can choose the right piece for your specific space that, Campbell says, will last for many, many years. The part of most sofas that'll usually start deteriorating first is the cushioning. With this in mind, you can shop for models that prioritize durability. "A combination of foam and fiber will have the most resiliency, and that 'tailored' (as opposed to 'sink-in') look for the longest period," he says. "But many people have comfort as their primary goal over longevity. A very dense foam will hold up the longest, but the denser the foam is, the less comfortable the sofa can be. It is also an aesthetic question, as a down or down alternative fill is going to give you a more casual look that will require some fluffing to maintain its look, but is still super durable." The best way to maintain the health of your cushions is to flip and fluff them every few months. "Rotate them like you would your car tires. This will give all of the cushions more equal wear over time, so the sofa looks great throughout the years," Campbell advises.Life expectancy of a sofa: 10 yearsRelated StoryBed FramesDesign: Sarah Richardson Design and Murakami Design, Photo: Valerie WilcoxWhen buying a bed frame, you basically have two options: wood or upholstered. You really can't go wrong with either, so invest in the one you prefer in terms of comfort and aesthetics. That said, wood will last a long time (pretty much forever if it's well-made) without you having to put too much effort into maintaining it. If you are dead-set on an upholstered bed frame, just make sure to choose your fabric wisely. "If you select a white linen headboard, it's not going to look great in the years to come," Campbell explains. "Instead, consider a white linen-like performance fabric that you can easily clean." Life expectancy of a wooden bed frame: ImmortalUpholstered bed frame: 20-30 yearsRelated StoryDining ChairsDesign: The Galeana Group, Photo: Matthew NiemannSimilar to dressers (which we'll get to in a moment), high-quality dining chairs are more about construction than material because, well, they get a lot of action. "Regardless of the type of chair you get (all wood, an upholstered seat, or fully upholstered), these pieces take the most abuse, as they're constantly being pulled in and out, leaned against, sliding…the legs need to be able to handle the stress," Campbell admits. "You will see the failure of dining chairs from a low-end manufacturer very quickly." If you can only splurge on one piece of furniture, let it be your dining chairs. The easiest to care for is an all-wood option, but if you want an upholstered set, make sure it's performance-grade fabric.Life expectancy of all-wood dining chairs: ImmortalDining chairs with upholstered seats: 10-20 yearsAll-upholstered dining chairs: 10-15 yearsRelated StoryDining TablesDesign: Liz Caan & Co., Photo: Eric RothWhat most often causes a dining table to deteriorate over time is its lack of stability, which, of course, goes back to what Campbell has been saying this whole time: It's all about the materials used and craftsmanship. Those two elements will make for a stable and durable table that will last pretty much forever if they're properly cared for. When do you know if it's time to put some TLC into your dining table? "Make sure there aren't any loose components," Campbell says. "The table's legs shouldn't wobble if weight is placed on any side. The base of the table or the legs should have a secure fit to the tabletop."You may be thinking a glass-top dining table is probably inferior (in terms of lifespan) to solid wood options, but Campbell argues that if a dining table boasts a glass top, it's designed to be used and loved. "They're very easy to clean and also durable," he notes. "If your dining table has a glass top, it's typically made to withstand regular usage. Should disaster strike, there are options to replace it if the original breaks." If you don't feel like dealing with that possibility, go with wood. However, wood is not indestructible either. "Solid wood ages really well, but it can crack and splinter over time. So, if you're OK with the live-edge or more rustic look, solid wood is a fantastic option," Campbell explains. "Veneering on medium-density fiberboard is a stable, long-term option, too. Both can be refinished: Solid wood can be refinished many times and veneered less often, depending on the thickness of the veneer."Life expectancy of a glass-top dining table: VariableSolid wood dining table: ImmortalRelated StoryDressersDesign: Gleason & Gleason, Photo: David TsayAs you may have guessed, the dressers that tend to last the longest are made of solid wood. "High-end dressers that withstand the test of time are typically crafted from solid wood— more specifically, stronger woods that wear well, such as cherry, oak, and maple," Campbell says. "However, because solid wood can crack, splinter, swell, or shrink over time, a veneer can create a long-lasting piece." Life expectancy of a solid wood dresser: ImmortalFollow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.

Author(s): Towards AI Editorial Team Originally published on Towards AI. Ever since we released our first book on LLMs — and now our most comprehensive course, From Beginner to Advanced LLM Developer — we’ve heard the same questions from devs sitting on the fence: “Isn’t most of this stuff already free online?” Sure — if you have time to stitch together YouTube videos, half-written blog posts, outdated Colabs, and guess your way through broken workflows. But this course is the equivalent of hiring an expert AI mentor for $4/hour — someone who’s built production-grade LLM systems and walks you through the exact pipeline, step by step. “But things are moving so fast… won’t it be outdated?” That’s why we built it: to move with you. The course is updated every single week to reflect the latest models, tools, and practices. What you’re learning isn’t a static curriculum — it’s a living roadmap with lifetime access, so you can adapt as the field evolves. And because staying current isn’t enough, you also need confidence that what you ship today still holds tomorrow. That’s why we’re now running monthly live cohorts — so you stay sharp, supported, and up to date. The next cohort kicks off June 1 with a live welcome call with our CEO. 👉 Join the course here “Will I actually build something real?” You won’t just learn. You’ll build and ship. A real LLM product. A full-stack application with prompting, RAG, fine-tuning, evaluation, and deployment — wrapped in a Gradio or Streamlit front end. You’ll walk away with something you can show off to a CTO, use in a job interview, or demo to your team. “Will it actually move the needle on my career?” Don’t take our word for it — here’s what past students are saying: “Best course out there to become an AI engineer. Planning to build my own startup based on the learnings.” — Abhijit L “Expanded my knowledge of RAG pipelines and gave me real-world tools.” — Eoin McGrath “From zero to hero as an LLM Developer… a clear path to build LLM applications that can change your career.” — Luca Tanieli This is the course we wish we had when we started. It’s not fluff. It’s not slides. It’s a system built on two years of working with real-world LLM deployments across companies, research teams, and startups. You’ll walk away with: ✅ A repeatable pipeline (prompting → RAG → fine-tuning → evaluation → deployment) ✅ A mindset for thinking like an AI engineer, not just a prompt tinkerer ✅ Weekly updates to stay ahead of the curve ✅ Access to our private Slack + 70,000+ builder community on Discord ✅ A portfolio-ready project that proves what you can do The next live cohort starts June 1 with a welcome call from our CEO. We’re capping enrollments again this month to keep the experience hands-on and high-touch, and last month’s seats filled up faster than expected. When you join now, you don’t need to wait — you get immediate access to the full course and can start building your AI product this week. If you want to be ahead of this next wave of AI instead of trying to catch up… This is your window. PEOPLE LIKE YOU ARE: Breaking into in-demand roles like LLM Developer Advancing careers and increasing earnings Monetizing AI by building high-selling LLM products Leading AI and ML engineering teams Using AI to work smarter, not harder, and achieving more If you’re thinking, “This sounds great, but what if it’s not for me?” — we get it. That’s why the course comes with a 30-day, no-questions-asked money-back guarantee. Try it. Dive into the material. If it doesn’t meet your expectations, we’ll refund you in full. 👉 Secure your spot for the June 1st cohort Join thousands of data leaders on the AI newsletter. Join over 80,000 subscribers and keep up to date with the latest developments in AI. From research to projects and ideas. If you are building an AI startup, an AI-related product, or a service, we invite you to consider becoming a sponsor. Published via Towards AI

Just in time to make the most of the warmer weather, REI is slashing prices on a bunch of our favorite outdoor gadgets and goods as a part of its annual anniversary sale. Now through May 26th, the outdoor retailer is taking up to 30 percent off a large number of items, from Garmin watches and water filters to stoves, satellite communicators, and one of the best camping / backpacking chairs around.RelatedBelow, we’ve rounded up some of the best deals to help you gear up for your summer adventures. In some instances, other retailers like Amazon are matching REI’s pricing, giving you additional ways to save. Also, keep in mind that REI members can save an additional 20 percent on one REI Outlet item or get 20 percent off on one qualifying full-price item when they use coupon ANNIV2025 at checkout.Garmin Forerunner 265 (42mm)$350$45022% off$350Garmin’s midrange Forerunner watch adds a new OLED display, a week’s worth of battery life, and dual-frequency GPS for better accuracy. Read our review.Many of our favorite Garmin smartwatches are also on sale right now, including the Garmin Forerunner 265, which is our top pick for runners. Normally $450, you can buy the smartwatch in either its 42mm or 46mm sizing at REI and Amazon for $349.99 ($100 off), which matches its best price to date. The 265 features a vibrant OLED display, up to 15 days of battery life, and multi-band GPS for more accurate tracking. It also provides insight into a number of running metrics, including stride length and cadence, while supporting Garmin’s PacePro, Training Readiness, and Race Predictor features.Garmin’s Fenix 8, our top pick for endurance athletes, is available in its 43mm configuration from REI, Amazon, and Garmin starting at $799.99 ($200 off). The platform-agnostic Fenix 8 is an excellent training watch with exceptional battery life that easily surpasses rivals like the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Garmin’s rugged, top-of-the-line wearable also includes a sharp OLED display and a built-in speaker / mic, so you can make calls or carry out voice commands using the onboard voice assistant (you can also connect it to your phone’s voice assistant for more complex queries). That being said, the Fenix 8 doesn’t offer built-in LTE, so your phone will need to stay within Bluetooth range for those features to work. Read our review.Garmin Fenix 8$800$100020% off$800The Garmin Fenix 8 adds smart features like the ability to take calls on the wrist, and an on-board voice assistant.Garmin’s 41mm Venu 3 is currently available for an all-time low of $349.99, down from its regular price of $449.99, at Amazon and REI. The Venu 3 is our favorite Garmin smartwatch, one that offers a mix of smart features and advanced health tracking at an affordable price. You can make and receive calls when paired with your phone, use your phone’s voice assistant via Bluetooth, and pay with contactless payments. It also includes a broad range of health features, including heart rate monitoring, period tracking, abnormal heart rate alerts, fall detection, and more. Just note: there’s no cellular connectivity, so you’ll need your phone nearby for full functionality. Read our review.Garmin inReach Mini 2$300$40025% off$300Garmin’s palm-size inReach Mini 2 satellite communicator provides off-the-grid contact with subscription plans starting at $14.95 a month.If your summer plans involve hiking or backpacking, the Garmin inReach Mini 2 can provide some peace of mind. And right now, it’s available from REI, Amazon, and Garmin for $299.99 ($100 off), which is just $15 shy of its all-time low. The rugged, palm-sized satellite communicator — which requires a monthly subscription — allows you to send texts, share your location, check the weather, and even trigger SOS alerts. It can easily outlast your average smartphone with satellite connectivity, too, so you’re free to enjoy the outdoors without having to worry about running out of power.The Helinox Chair Zero — a personal favorite of several Verge staffers — is on sale at REI and Amazon for $104.98 ($35 off), which is its best price to date. Weighing just a pound, the collapsible backpacking chair is exceptionally lightweight and easy to pack. It’s also built to support up to 265 pounds and is both comfortable and stable, despite its portable design.LifeStraw Peak Series Straw$18$2528% off$18LifeStraw’s basic filter removes unwanted viruses, bacteria, and microplastics as you drink, giving you a safe way to hydrate no matter where you are.LifeStraw’s portable water filters make for helpful travel companions, regardless of whether you’re heading into the backcountry or touring cities with questionable tap water. Thankfully, Verge favorites like the LifeStraw Peak Series Straw are on sale at Amazon and REI starting at $17.58, down from $24.95. The standalone straw is perfect for filtering out bacteria, parasites, and microplastics from streams and rivers. The Peak Series model features an improved flow rate and a more durable design than earlier models as well, and thanks to its versatile build, you can drink directly from a water source, attach it to a water bottle, or connect it to a gravity hose system.If you’re looking for a more convenient, all-in-one solution, the 22-ounce LifeStraw Go Series Water Bottle is also on sale for an all-time low of around $34 ($11 off) at REI and Amazon. The BPA-free bottle features a built-in two-stage filtration system, including a carbon filter that’s designed to reduce odors and improve taste, making it a solid pick for everything from travel to your daily commute.The MSR PocketRocket 2 Stove is on sale for $44.89, down from $55.95, at REI. The single-burner canister stove can boil water in just 3.5 minutes. It’s also lightweight, foldable, and compatible with most isobutane-propane fuel canisters, making it a great pick for backpackers looking to shed weight.Black Diamond Spot 400$37$5026% off$37Black Diamond’s Spot 400 headlamp offers great battery life and simple, easy-to-use controls. Best off all, it’s plenty bright, making it a great option for both indoor and outdoor use.$37 at REIIf you’re looking for a reliable and comfortable headlamp, Black Diamond’s Spot 400 is great for everything from camping to hiking to late-night reading sessions. It’s currently available from REI for $37.39 (about $13 off), which remains one of its better prices to date. The 400-lumen headlamp offers adjustable brightness, a red night vision mode, and an IPX8 waterproof rating, so it can handle rainy nights. It’s also dual-fuel compatible, meaning you can use standard AAA batteries or use it in tandem with Black Diamond’s rechargeable BD 1500 Li-ion battery for more flexibility.The pocket-sized Black Diamond Moji Lantern is down to $18.69 (about $6 off) at REI in multiple colors. The rugged Moji lantern offers 200 lumens of warm, dimmable light and adjustable lightness, along with an IPX4 rating for water resistance. It features a double-hook design, too, so you can use it as a table lantern or hang it up. The JBL Flip 6 is selling for $99.99 at REI and Amazon, down from $129.95 and about $20 shy of its all-time low. The portable Bluetooth speaker delivers powerful, clear sound and an IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating. The Flip 6 also offers up to 12 hours of playtime and features JBL’s PartyBoost feature, which allows you to pair multiple JBL devices together for a more powerful audio experience.Garmin’s Varia RTL515 Radar Taillight is on sale at REI and Amazon for $149.99 ($50 off), nearly matching its lowest price to date. The headlight combines a bright LED light with a rearview radar that, when paired with a compatible device, warns you of cars approaching from behind from up to 153 yards away.Coleman Cascade Classic Camp Stove$97$13025% off$97Coleman’s basic Cascade Classic Camp Stove features enough cooking power for most meals, two burners, and a matchless igniter.$97 at Coleman$97 at REIIf you want a straightforward stove that gets the job done, Coleman’s Cascade Classic Camp Stove is a good option that starts at $96.99 (about $33 off) when purchased directly from Coleman or at REI. The compact stove is pretty basic, but it offers everything you need for simple, reliable camp cooking. It’s got enough cooking power to handle most meals and two burners, so you can cook multiple things at once. It also features a matchless push-button igniter, along with built-in wind guards for better flame control and adjustable heat knobs for more precise cooking. It’s easy to carry and set up as well, with a durable steel cooktop and a removable chrome-plated grate for easy cleanup.You can buy MSR’s TrailShot Pocket-Sized Water Filter for $48.69, down from $64.95, at REI. The squeeze-and-sip filter removes bacteria, protozoa, and particulates, so you can drink directly from natural water sources or refill bottles. The filter is highly portable at just 5.2 ounces, too, and can easily fit in your pocket.The BioLite SolarHome 620 Plus kit is on sale for $139.93, down from $199.95, at REI. The compact, solar-powered system is designed to bring lights, charging, and audio to off-grid locations. Along with a 6W solar panel, it features an integrated FM radio / MP3 player, three hanging 120-lumen LED lights, and a pair of USB ports for charging various devices.See More:

Publisher financials sound a warning for industry growth | Opinion As consumers around the world feel the economic squeeze, gaming's value for money is facing new challenges – and publishers are battening down the hatches Image credit: Ubisoft/Lucasfilm Opinion by Rob Fahey Contributing Editor Published on May 16, 2025 Corporate financials season may not be the most exciting of the year's changing seasons, but it does present a rare opportunity to take the industry's pulse in a more-or-less objective way. It would be an exaggeration to say that financial reports and the statements made on the earnings calls which follow them are free of marketing bluster, but different, stricter rules apply here than at other times. Companies can and do spin the numbers, but the numbers themselves have to be reported honestly – which means that everyone gets a chance to see how everyone else is doing, and adjust their own planning and outlook accordingly. Since this is also usually when we get firm updates on shipment figures for console hardware, that's the story that tends to attract the most focus. So with the launch of Switch 2 fast approaching and the threat of tariff impacts looming, it's no surprise that that's been the case on this occasion as well. Still, while platform holder results do hold special importance for the industry, they are somewhat separate from the reality that most other companies in this business are facing. For the broader picture, we really do need to dig into the stack of reports issued from publishers around the globe. This quarter – and indeed this year, since most firms are reporting full-year figures – a lot of those reports make for somewhat serious reading, even by the dry standards of corporate financials. Looking across the major results released in the past few weeks from companies ranging from Capcom, Square Enix, and Sega, through to Ubisoft, Warner Bros, and Take-Two, there's unsurprisingly a great deal of diversity on display given their very different market positions and product line-ups, but there are nonetheless a few trends that go beyond the travails of a single company and are worth exploring as potential bellwethers for the wider industry. Firstly, and perhaps most concerning – sales are generally down, with most companies reporting a drop in revenues over the past year. This isn't universal, with Capcom being a notable exception as it continued a genuinely impressive years-long winning streak, and Take-Two also managing to report a few percentage points of growth thanks largely to great performance for its sports titles. Overall, though, revenues seem to be in decline right now. The underlying causes differ in each case – you can look across each company and pinpoint the specific decisions or problems each of them suffered – but the broader trend is still meaningful. That's especially the case since this fits with the warning signals that have begun flashing in market data from various territories around the world, suggesting that overall consumer spend on gaming has fallen over the past year, albeit only by a relatively small percentage. In spite of the lower sales numbers most companies are reporting, however, several of these publishers are nonetheless showing improvements in operating income – notably Sega and Square Enix, both of which were more profitable over the past year despite their revenues being lower. This is due in part to restructuring and narrowing the focus of their development efforts, but a major factor is also the strong sales of back catalogue titles, which incur minimal costs and are thus great for a company's bottom line. Image credit: Rockstar Games These long-tail sales are proving crucial to keeping the industry's financials looking healthy (and if we take a broad definition, you could make an argument that transactions in games like GTA Online also comprise a form of long-tail sales for Take-Two, for example), but they may also point to a rising price sensitivity among consumers who are showing more willingness to buy competitively priced older games rather than forking out for full-price releases in some cases. Again, if that is the case, it fits with broader economic trends; we know that consumers in a lot of territories are feeling a serious squeeze on their discretionary expenditure, and seeking competitively priced alternatives is a natural response in that case. If that's impacting the games industry's top line, then this could potentially mean that the industry is facing its first actual recession (not counting the mean reversion that we saw after the massive industry growth recorded in the first couple of years of the pandemic). There's a long-standing piece of conventional wisdom which says that although individual sectors may suffer, the games business overall is well-insulated against recessions (we used to say "recession-proof" a couple of decades ago, but I don't know anyone who'd care to make a wager on that statement these days). This is because games offer tremendous value for money compared to most other discretionary expenditures – such that consumers who have slashed their spending on travel, going out, and other expensive hobbies and pursuits may actually end up modestly increasing their gaming expenditure to fill the resulting free time. Even by the games industry's usual standards of franchise obsession, that lack of focus on new IP creation or expansion stands out as unusual That logic has been strongly challenged in recent years by the existence of things like subscription video services, which offer hours-per-dollar of entertainment easily comparable with any game, or free-to-play games. Not to mention the other free alternative preferred by many consumers: doomscrolling your way through hours of brain-rot. Moreover, there's an especially tricky calculus at work right now, because the strong possibility of widespread belt-tightening by consumers is coming right as gaming is in the midst of trying to increase prices for many of its top-line products. The reasons for that are well and good, but the timing is horrible, and in these results we may be seeing the first signs that some groups of consumers are actually noping out of paying higher price points for premium games. It's not just competitively priced back catalogue titles that seem to be over-performing relative to other segments. We're also seeing very strong performance from games (such as EA's Split Fiction, and indie title Clair Obscur: Expedition 33) which chose to launch at $50 price points. Their success is a data point worth bearing in mind at a moment when several publishers are trying to push past $70 and establish $80 as a new regular price level. The fact that things like remasters of back catalogue titles sit comfortably at lower price points may well be part of their appeal, both to consumers and to publishers. The restructuring of development efforts that many publishers are currently undertaking is always described in terms of streamlining and improving, but generally looks a lot like strategic de-risking – focusing in on sure-fire bets and a small number of core franchises. Image credit: Sega/Atlus In fact, one common point across every company that has reported results in the past couple of weeks is that they're all quite open about being tightly focused on three or four core IPs. The only company in the bunch with anything really positive to say about a non-core or original IP was Sega's reference to the strong performance of Metaphor: ReFantazio. Even by the games industry's usual standards of franchise obsession, that lack of focus on new IP creation or expansion stands out as unusual – and even in the companies that are doing very well, like the aforementioned Capcom, it's notable that remakes, remasters, re-imaginings and re-visitings describe pretty much the entire software pipeline. The overall sense is clear: publishers are in battening-down-hatches mode right now. In that respect, assuming the economic situation is going to worsen, this approach probably makes sense. Companies facing a market in which consumers are feeling financially precarious need to focus on relatively sure bets for their headline titles, and fill in the gaps with lower-cost games, for which digging into the back catalogue is ideal. In the medium to long term, though, we have to hope against hope that publishers who are narrowing their focus to tentpole franchises right now have some strategy for getting back to building new IPs eventually. Franchise exhaustion is also a very real concern, and growth, ultimately, has to come through creative innovation. No company can run forever just by finding increasingly aggressive ways to flog the same dying horses.

For this week's curated picks of architecture and design competitions listed on Bustler, we are featuring four calls seeking the world's best architecture and design projects, innovative and sustainable design proposals for a site within the Busan Design Special District in South Korea, forward-thinking multifamily housing designs that use single-stair configurations, and unique chair designs.For the complete directory of newly listed competitions, click here.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.Vegetable plants are expensive. To get the best yield out of them, you need to pay attention to more than just the soil, sun, and watering. You need to get your plants off on the right foot by planting them the right way. Here's what I mean. Choose the right plant at the nursery Credit: Amanda Blum When I first started gardening, I thought the best vegetable starts to buy were the ones that were the biggest, with flowers and fruit already on them. This would give the plant a head start, right? Sadly, no. Plants go through something called "transplant shock" when you move them. You’re disturbing the plant's roots, and moving it to a new environment. To survive, the plant needs to focus all its energy on the plant's roots, and if there's a lot of plant matter like leaves, flowers, and fruit to support, energy is wasted supporting them. Plants with established fruit, in particular, struggle during the transplant process. Choose plants that look healthy, with strong stems and leaves without damage, but that don't yet have flowers or fruit. Prepare your soil Credit: Amanda Blum There are legions of ways to handle your garden from season to season. Some people till the soil, while others employ a no-till method, and still others use something called "chop-and-drop." Regardless of the method, the soil you’re planting into has to be pliable enough that roots can flourish in them. For that reason, ensure that the soil is turned over and broken up—from a shovel to a shovel and a half’s depth. You can use a broadfork for this, if you don’t want to disturb the soil structure, but otherwise, just use a shovel. Breaking up the soil will help you see the texture—so you can add sand if the soil has too much clay in it, or compost if it isn't holding any moisture. You can use this time to add amendments such as vegetable fertilizer and lime. Fertilizer is obvious, but lime is used to turn your soil less acidic, which happens over time through watering and growing. Most vegetables don’t enjoy acidic environments. Turn the amendments into the soil. Choose an overcast dayYour plants will already be stressed by transplanting. Planting them into the blazing sun is even more stress. A stretch of overcast days is the perfect planting time. If that's not an option, plant at twilight to give your plants a night to adjust. Consider giving the plant some shade the next day to help it acclimate.Get the plant out of the pot without damaging the roots Credit: Amanda Blum By the time plants reach the nursery, they’re often root-bound in the plastic pots or six packs you buy them in. Roots are resilient, but you don’t want to disturb them more than necessary. The best way to break a plant free from a plastic pot is to use two fingers and squeeze the bottom of the pot. This should free the plant. Don’t turn the pot over or pound on it with your palm, and definitely don’t try to pull it loose by the plant’s stem.  on the left, the eggplant seedling just out of the pot, and on the right, after the roots have been broken up Credit: Amanda Blum Once the plant is out, you want to break up the roots by using your fingers like a comb on the bottom of the plant, so that roots are freed. That said, these plants do not enjoy their roots being disturbed: cucumbers, beans, pumpkins, luffa, beets, and most root vegetables. For these, I simply dig a hole, remove the plant from the plastic tray, carefully plop the plant in, and walk away.  Separate plants as necessary Credit: Amanda Blum Most pots have more than one seed in each cell. In some cases, like tomatoes, someone usually culls the seedlings so only one is left to flourish. However, in some cases, like herbs and lettuce, nurseries leave the seeds alone and let multiple seeds grow. In other cases like onions and carrots, the cells are purposely overseeded to be filled with lots of seedlings. Strawberries usually come in a pot of five to 10 starts.  If you take a cell of onion seedlings out, you can separate them by diving the block in half over and over again, until you have individual seedlings. Credit: Amanda Blum When there’s more than one seedling, you need to separate them. You shouldn’t try to plant them altogether. For lettuce or herbs, this is simple: Remove one cell, and with your fingers, gently pull the soil pod apart. Start by pulling the pod in half, and then keep dividing until all the seedlings are free. This works on larger plants like squash, and smaller plants like carrots where there can be 20 or more seedlings in a single cell. Once the individual seedlings are free, they can each be planted as if they’re a whole plant. This is how you get a whole row of carrots or onions. This is also a great way to save money, since you usually get far more than six lettuce heads from a six-pack of lettuce. Know the right depth Credit: Amanda Blum Plants need to go in the ground at the right depth, ensuring that the base of the plant is at soil level. In some cases, though, you can (and should) plant the stem deeper.Leeks and onions, for example, can be planted deeply. In particular, leeks can be planted as deeply as possible, with only an inch or two of seedling above the surface of the soil. This will help blanch the leek (keep it white). Tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers can be planted deeply, as they’ll form roots along their entire stem. If your tomato is leggy (tall with little horizontal branching), this is a spectacular way to fix the problem. When in doubt, follow the directions on the plant tag, or simply plant at a standard depth so the roots are covered, but the stem is exposed above the soil. Don’t mulch against your stemsWhile mulch is an important part of insulating your vegetable plants and keeping moisture in the ground, it’s also a way to spread pathogens. You want to ensure plants have a few inches of clearance between them and the mulch. Keep your labels or make new ones Keep those plant tags. Credit: Amanda Blum In the melee of planting, it’s common to lose your plant tags. After all, a tomato is a tomato. However, you’ll be sad at the end of the season when one tomato does spectacularly and another doesn’t, and you don’t know what variety each was. Label your plants! 

At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Excellent full-color night vision Sharp 3K video resolution Smart motion detection with human and vehicle filtering Cons No included microSD card No AI-driven features beyond basic smart detection Our Verdict The Annke NightChroma NC500 is a rock-solid budget camera that delivers sharp, full-color surveillance–including at night–and smart detection where it counts. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today If you’re in the market for a budget-friendly security camera that doesn’t skimp on nighttime clarity, the Annke NightChroma NC500 is worth a look. This wired 3K PoE (Power over Ethernet) camera captures full-color video even in total darkness, something you don’t typically get at its modest $64.99 price point (that was the sale price at the time of this review; MSRP is $99.99). That combination of sharp imaging and vivid night vision makes it an appealing option for DIYers setting up their own security systems–especially those who are also looking for a local networked storage option–as well as homeowners looking to add reliable coverage without blowing their budget. The Annke NightChroma NC500 doesn’t try to dazzle with extras; it focuses on doing the basics really well, and that’s what makes it such a strong buy. Design and features The Annke NC500 is available in both bullet and turret styles; I tested the bullet version. It has the no-nonsense look of a classic security camera—long and cylindrical, with a sturdy mounting bracket that makes it easy to aim exactly where you need coverage. The housing is made of aluminum and feels solid and well-built, with an IP67 weatherization rating that protects it against dust and rain (it can withstand being immersed in up to 3.3 feet of water for as long as 30 minutes). It can also operate in extreme temperatures, with an operating range of -22 degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees F (-30 to 60 degrees C). (To find out more about how well devices are protected from the elements, read our informative guide to IP codes at the preceding link.) Whether it’s scorching summer heat or a winter freeze, the Annke NC500 is built to hold up outdoors. The compact bullet-style camera supports Power over Ethernet, meaning power and a network connection are supplied by a single cable, simplifying outdoor installations. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry Beneath its rugged exterior, the camera is more impressive than its price might suggest. It captures video with 3K resolution (3072 × 1728 pixels), providing a significant leap in detail over standard 1080p (1920 x 1080). That’s especially useful for identifying faces, license plates, or small movements at a distance. But what really sets this camera apart from the competition at this price is its low-light performance. The Annke NC500 uses a large f/1.0 aperture and a backside-illuminated (BSI) image sensor, both of which help it gather more light after dark. Combined with Annke’s Acme Color Night Vision technology, the camera can deliver full-color footage even in near-total darkness. A built-in soft supplement light discreetly activates in 0 lux conditions, boosting low-light performance without the harsh glare of a spotlight or the grayscale fallback of infrared night vision. Other useful features include a built-in microphone for audio capture and support for local storage (up to 256GB via a microSD card that you’ll need to supply your own. Video is compressed using the efficient H.265+ codec, which helps reduce file sizes without sacrificing image quality. Setup and performance Support for Power over Ethernet (PoE) means both data and power travel over the same ethernet cable, simplifying wiring and delivering added flexibility as to where you install the camera–you’re not limited to locations near an electrical outlet. As long as you have a PoE-capable ethernet switch or a PoE injector you can use with your existing switch or roouter, one cable from your router or NVR (network video recorder) is all it takes to power the camera and get it online. The NC500 is designed to work seamlessly with Annke’s own NVR systems; if you’re using a third-party recorder, you’ll want to confirm compatibility before purchasing. The Annke Vision app has a spare, intutitive design that makes it easy to control the camera and customize its settings. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry Once connected, setup is handled through the Annke Vision app, which offers a relatively smooth user experience. You can view live footage, play back recorded video, adjust camera settings, and set up motion detection alerts. The motion detection feature allows you to fine-tune sensitivity levels, helping reduce false alarms from wind-blown trees or passing cars. In terms of performance, the NC500 punches well above its weight. Its night-vision capabilities are particularly strong—footage is captured in full color and is impressively clear even when the ambient light drops to near zero. This gives it a significant edge over traditional IR-based night-vision cameras, which often revert to grainy black-and-white imagery when operating in full darkness. During my testing, the camera maintained sharp image quality in both rainy and bright conditions, and the sturdy build showed no signs of stress during a spring downpour. The onboard microphone also did a decent job picking up conversation, handy for capturing more context in your recordings. This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best home security cameras. The camera’s smart detection capabilities are a clear step up from basic motion alerts. It can distinguish between people and vehicles, which helps cut down on false alarms from things like swaying branches or neighborhood pets. In my testing, motion alerts were timely and mostly accurate, with only the occasional missed detection or unnecessary ping. You can tweak sensitivity and set motion zones in the app to further reduce noise, making the alerts more useful and less disruptive. Should you buy the Annke NightChroma NC500? The Annke NC500 doesn’t try to dazzle with extras; it focuses on doing the basics really well, and that’s what makes it such a strong buy. You get sharp video, reliable full-color night vision, and motion detection that’s smart enough to tell a person from a passing car. That’s more than enough to stand out in a crowded budget security camera market.

AI’s thirst for energy is ballooning into a monster of a challenge. And it’s not just about the electricity bills. The environmental fallout is serious, stretching to guzzling precious water resources, creating mountains of electronic waste, and, yes, adding to those greenhouse gas emissions we’re all trying to cut.As AI models get ever more complex and weave themselves into yet more parts of our lives, a massive question mark hangs in the air: can we power this revolution without costing the Earth?The numbers don’t lie: AI’s energy demand is escalating fastThe sheer computing power needed for the smartest AI out there is on an almost unbelievable upward curve – some say it’s doubling roughly every few months. This isn’t a gentle slope; it’s a vertical climb that’s threatening to leave even our most optimistic energy plans in the dust.To give you a sense of scale, AI’s future energy needs could soon gulp down as much electricity as entire countries like Japan or the Netherlands, or even large US states like California. When you hear stats like that, you start to see the potential squeeze AI could put on the power grids we all rely on.2024 saw a record 4.3% surge in global electricity demand, and AI’s expansion was a big reason why, alongside the boom in electric cars and factories working harder. Wind back to 2022, and data centres, AI, and even cryptocurrency mining were already accounting for nearly 2% of all the electricity used worldwide – that’s about 460 terawatt-hours (TWh).Jump to 2024, and data centres on their own use around 415 TWh, which is roughly 1.5% of the global total, and growing at 12% a year. AI’s direct share of that slice is still relatively small – about 20 TWh, or 0.02% of global energy use – but hold onto your hats, because that number is set to rocket upwards.The forecasts? Well, they’re pretty eye-opening. By the end of 2025, AI data centres around the world could demand an extra 10 gigawatts (GW) of power. That’s more than the entire power capacity of a place like Utah.Roll on to 2026, and global data centre electricity use could hit 1,000 TWh – similar to what Japan uses right now. And, by 2027, the global power hunger of AI data centres is tipped to reach 68 GW, which is almost what California had in total power capacity back in 2022. Towards the end of this decade, the figures get even more jaw-dropping. Global data centre electricity consumption is predicted to double to around 945 TWh by 2030, which is just shy of 3% of all the electricity used on the planet.OPEC reckons data centre electricity use could even triple to 1,500 TWh by then. And Goldman Sachs? They’re saying global power demand from data centres could leap by as much as 165% compared to 2023, with those data centres specifically kitted out for AI seeing their demand shoot up by more than four times.There are even suggestions that data centres could be responsible for up to 21% of all global energy demand by 2030 if you count the energy it takes to get AI services to us, the users.When we talk about AI’s energy use, it mainly splits into two big chunks: training the AI, and then actually using it.Training enormous models, like GPT-4, takes a colossal amount of energy. Just to train GPT-3, for example, it’s estimated they used 1,287 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity, and GPT-4 is thought to have needed a whopping 50 times more than that. While training is a power hog, it’s the day-to-day running of these trained models that can chew through over 80% of AI’s total energy. It’s reported that asking ChatGPT a single question uses about ten times more energy than a Google search (we’re talking roughly 2.9 Wh versus 0.3 Wh).With everyone jumping on the generative AI bandwagon, the race is on to build ever more powerful – and therefore more energy-guzzling – data centres.So, can we supply energy for AI – and for ourselves?This is the million-dollar question, isn’t it? Can our planet’s energy systems cope with this new demand? We’re already juggling a mix of fossil fuels, nuclear power, and renewables. If we’re going to feed AI’s growing appetite sustainably, we need to ramp up and diversify how we generate energy, and fast.Naturally, renewable energy – solar, wind, hydro, geothermal – is a huge piece of the puzzle. In the US, for instance, renewables are set to go from 23% of power generation in 2024 to 27% by 2026. The tech giants are making some big promises; Microsoft, for example, is planning to buy 10.5 GW of renewable energy between 2026 and 2030 just for its data centres. AI itself could actually help us use renewable energy more efficiently, perhaps cutting energy use by up to 60% in some areas by making energy storage smarter and managing power grids better.But let’s not get carried away. Renewables have their own headaches. The sun doesn’t always shine, and the wind doesn’t always blow, which is a real problem for data centres that need power around the clock, every single day. The batteries we have now to smooth out these bumps are often expensive and take up a lot of room. Plus, plugging massive new renewable projects into our existing power grids can be a slow and complicated business.This is where nuclear power is starting to look more appealing to some, especially as a steady, low-carbon way to power AI’s massive energy needs. It delivers that crucial 24/7 power, which is exactly what data centres crave. There’s a lot of buzz around Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) too, because they’re potentially more flexible and have beefed-up safety features. And it’s not just talk; big names like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google are seriously looking into nuclear options.Matt Garman, who heads up AWS, recently put it plainly to the BBC, calling nuclear a “great solution” for data centres. He said it’s “an excellent source of zero carbon, 24/7 power.” He also stressed that planning for future energy is a massive part of what AWS does.“It’s something we plan many years out,” Garman mentioned. “We invest ahead. I think the world is going to have to build new technologies. I believe nuclear is a big part of that, particularly as we look 10 years out.”Still, nuclear power isn’t a magic wand. Building new reactors takes a notoriously long time, costs a fortune, and involves wading through complex red tape. And let’s be frank, public opinion on nuclear power is still a bit shaky, often because of past accidents, even though modern reactors are much safer.The sheer speed at which AI is developing also creates a bit of a mismatch with how long it takes to get a new nuclear plant up and running. This could mean we end up leaning even more heavily on fossil fuels in the short term, which isn’t great for our green ambitions. Plus, the idea of sticking data centres right next to nuclear plants has got some people worried about what that might do to electricity prices and reliability for everyone else.Not just kilowatts: Wider environmental shadow of AI loomsAI’s impact on the planet goes way beyond just the electricity it uses. Those data centres get hot, and cooling them down uses vast amounts of water. Your average data centre sips about 1.7 litres of water for every kilowatt-hour of energy it burns through.Back in 2022, Google’s data centres reportedly drank their way through about 5 billion gallons of fresh water – that’s a 20% jump from the year before. Some estimates suggest that for every kWh a data centre uses, it might need up to two litres of water just for cooling. Put it another way, global AI infrastructure could soon be chugging six times more water than the entirety of Denmark.And then there’s the ever-growing mountain of electronic waste, or e-waste. Because AI tech – especially specialised hardware like GPUs and TPUs – moves so fast, old kit gets thrown out more often. We could be looking at AI contributing to an e-waste pile-up from data centres hitting five million tons every year by 2030. Even making the AI chips and all the other bits for data centres takes a toll on our natural resources and the environment. It means mining for critical minerals like lithium and cobalt, often using methods that aren’t exactly kind to the planet.Just to make one AI chip can take over 1,400 litres of water and 3,000 kWh of electricity. This hunger for new hardware is also pushing for more semiconductor factories, which, guess what, often leads to more gas-powered energy plants being built.And, of course, we can’t forget the carbon emissions. When AI is powered by electricity generated from burning fossil fuels, it adds to the climate change problem we’re all facing. It’s estimated that training just one big AI model can pump out as much CO2 as hundreds of US homes do in a year.If you look at the environmental reports from the big tech companies, you can see AI’s growing carbon footprint. Microsoft’s yearly emissions, for example, went up by about 40% between 2020 and 2023, mostly because they were building more data centres for AI. Google also reported that its total greenhouse gas emissions have shot up by nearly 50% over the last five years, with the power demands of its AI data centres being a major culprit.Can we innovate our way out?It might sound like all doom and gloom, but a combination of new ideas could help.A big focus is on making AI algorithms themselves more energy-efficient. Researchers are coming up with clever tricks like “model pruning” (stripping out unnecessary bits of an AI model), “quantisation” (using less precise numbers, which saves energy), and “knowledge distillation” (where a smaller, thriftier AI model learns from a big, complex one). Designing smaller, more specialised AI models that do specific jobs with less power is also a priority.Inside data centres, things like “power capping” (putting a lid on how much power hardware can draw) and “dynamic resource allocation” (shifting computing power around based on real-time needs and when renewable energy is plentiful) can make a real difference. Software that’s “AI-aware” can even shift less urgent AI jobs to times when energy is cleaner or demand on the grid is lower. AI can even be used to make the cooling systems in data centres more efficient.On-device AI could also help to reduce power consumption. Instead of sending data off to massive, power-hungry cloud data centres, the AI processing happens right there on your phone or device. This could slash energy use, as the chips designed for this prioritise being efficient over raw power.And we can’t forget about rules and regulations. Governments are starting to wake up to the need to make AI accountable for its energy use and wider environmental impact.Having clear, standard ways to measure and report AI’s footprint is a crucial first step. We also need policies that encourage companies to make hardware that lasts longer and is easier to recycle, to help tackle that e-waste mountain. Things like energy credit trading systems could even give companies a financial reason to choose greener AI tech.It’s worth noting that the United Arab Emirates and the United States shook hands this week on a deal to build the biggest AI campus outside the US in the Gulf. While this shows just how important AI is becoming globally, it also throws a spotlight on why all these energy and environmental concerns need to be front and centre for such huge projects.Finding a sustainable future for AIAI has the power to do some amazing things, but its ferocious appetite for energy is a serious hurdle. The predictions for its future power demands are genuinely startling, potentially matching what whole countries use.If we’re going to meet this demand, we need a smart mix of energy sources. Renewables are fantastic for the long run, but they have their wobbles when it comes to consistent supply and scaling up quickly. Nuclear power – including those newer SMRs – offers a reliable, low-carbon option that’s definitely catching the eye of big tech companies. But we still need to get our heads around the safety, cost, and how long they take to build.And remember, it’s not just about electricity. AI’s broader environmental impact – from the water it drinks to cool data centres, to the growing piles of e-waste from its hardware, and the resources it uses up during manufacturing – is huge. We need to look at the whole picture if we’re serious about lessening AI’s ecological footprint.The good news? There are plenty of promising ideas and innovations bubbling up. Energy-saving AI algorithms, clever power management in data centres, AI-aware software that can manage workloads intelligently, and the shift towards on-device AI all offer ways to cut down on energy use. Plus, the fact that we’re even talking about AI’s environmental impact more means that discussions around policies and rules to push for sustainability are finally happening.Dealing with AI’s energy and environmental challenges needs everyone – researchers, the tech industry, and policymakers – to roll up their sleeves and work together, and fast.If we make energy efficiency a top priority in how AI is developed, invest properly in sustainable energy, manage hardware responsibly from cradle to grave, and put supportive policies in place, we can aim for a future where AI’s incredible potential is unlocked in a way that doesn’t break our planet.The race to lead in AI has to be a race for sustainable AI too.(Photo by Nejc Soklič)Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with other leading events including Intelligent Automation Conference, BlockX, Digital Transformation Week, and Cyber Security & Cloud Expo.Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars powered by TechForge here.

Ravi Kunju, Chief Product and Strategy Officer, AltairMay 16, 20254 Min ReadZoonar GmbH via Alamy StockCIOs looking to propel digital transformation face a daunting task. They need to harness the power of data analytics and artificial intelligence. They need to empower their employees and serve their customers with the best software tools, compute resources, data infrastructure, and more. Yet to achieve this, CIOs need to navigate a ballooning budget and technology partners who might be hiking prices without giving you more features. A recent Forrester report found that nearly 80% of US organizations reported increases in software costs over the past year. Moreover, 4 in 5 tech leaders said they anticipated their organization’s adoption of generative AI will increase software costs. Prices are going up.  Instead of cutting the technology offered, CIO should explore changing their software licensing to improve their bottom line. Though the board might not get excited about licensing changes, they should. Complex agreements, the wrong licensing models cost an organization dearly -- both financially and technologically.  At the enterprise level, new types of models are emerging that could improve a company’s bottom line, including one that mimics a library system. They’re challenging the traditional per-seat model and could be the future of software licensing.  Related:Traditional Per-Seat Software Licensing for the Right Tools The per seat model, or named user licensing, has its benefits. For instance, when you have a limited set of people who need specific tools, or where there can be individualized attributes or access controls, like an enterprise resource planning system or customer relationship management software. However, there is risk in extending similar models into other domains like engineering simulation. An engineer and their team solving complex problems and running virtual simulations on computers are using several tools, all for different purposes, stages of design, and use cases. The Office of the CFO isn’t using one spreadsheet app -- they’re using CRMs, databases, accounting, and budgeting tools, etc.  And the company’s needs go beyond software. Your organization needs hardware: cloud resources, high-performance computing (HPC) power, mainframes, and beyond.  For the wrong tools, named user licensing can be like owning a car that’s always left running, or it can cause traffic jams for projects if only one person has access to a specific software.  Token-Based Systems Make It Easier to Track Usage Consumption licensing models -- where everyone draws from a shared, but finite “tank” of resources (“fuel,” such as tokens or credits) -- can be an improvement. They house resources under a single licensing framework and allow different user personas to navigate between tools as needed. They also give organizations more insight into costs and usage (since they can see when the tank is getting low). This is a popular cloud licensing model, though the technology is also seeing continued inflation costs.    Related:But the tank for consumption models can run dry very fast. When it’s empty, you have to pay for more fuel. Plus, having that tank isn’t always helpful for controlling costs. What if someone accidentally runs a compute job overnight that uses all your fuel? You can’t get it back -- you have to buy more and hope it doesn’t happen again. There’s never a guarantee you won’t overshoot your budget. Value-Based Models are Interesting, but Subjective Value-based licensing is a relatively newer software licensing concept aligned with business outcomes. The idea is that the cost of the software is based purely on the benefits to the end customer. These models are well-suited for solutions that can easily quantify business benefits; however, these can be subjective and hard to implement and scale. They can also extend the sales cycle and make every transaction unique (and potentially contentious).  Related:A Library Model Combines Other Emergent Licensing Trends Growing in popularity is the flexible-hybrid model, which combines consumption-based and value-based licensing with a predetermined capacity commitment that can’t be exceeded.  It’s like a community e-library, wherein a variety of books can be checked out when needed and checked back in when not in use. In this example, the flexible-hybrid model would work by making certain books available to a team to check out. The only determination then is how many books each team member will borrow at once.  With flexible-hybrid models, CIOs can often get the best of everything: software/hardware resources in a single, shared environment, seamless access to tools/resources when and how you need them, and a brake that prevents runaway costs.  Research from ITAM found that more than 76% of organizations considered themselves “over-licensed.” These emerging software licensing models could fix that number. However, we’ll only see it take off if CIOs start critically evaluating their licensing models and asking their vendors for the flexible-hybrid approach. While AI tops the list of many business leaders’ priorities right now, making sure to secure AI tools that everyone can use, and within budget, should be up there, too.  About the AuthorRavi Kunju Chief Product and Strategy Officer, AltairRavi Kunju is responsible for the strategy and vision of Altair products, which includes facilitating the development, sales, pricing, and marketing of Altair’s solutions for multiple industry verticals, across all business lines. Previously, Kunju held several leadership roles at Altair including vice president of business strategy for Altair’s manufacturing solutions, vice president of strategy for enterprise computing, managing director of enterprise computing for the Americas, and managing director of the U.S. North Central region. Prior to joining Altair, Kunju was a project engineer at Ford Motor Company and a structural analyst at Chrysler Corporation.See more from Ravi KunjuWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore ReportsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also Like